The 10 Greatest Teams in Premier League History (Ranked)

The Premier League has seen some outstanding teams since its inception in 1992 – some so famous that they will be etched into the history books for years to come.

Manchester United remain the most successful team in Premier League history, winning 13 titles over 20 years to edge ahead of their competitors. Meanwhile, local rivals Manchester City have gained eight titles in a recent burst, whilst other outfits, including Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool have all tasted domestic success.

Despite this, some have been simply mesmerising by winning week in, week out to forge some of the best Premier League seasons of all time. GIVEMESPORT takes a look at the ten best teams in Premier League history. We will be taking into account not just the statistical data that surrounds these clubs, but also the legacy they left thanks to their unique excellence.

10 Manchester United

1992/93

The first official Premier League champions had to be included on this list. Manchester United have reigned supreme for much of this era, but their triumph in 1992 saw them end a 26-year wait for a league title.

The biggest inspiration for this was none other than Eric Cantona. The troubled Frenchman joined from Leeds United during the season and was the missing piece in the jigsaw. He helped lead his team on a charge, which included a memorable 2-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday thanks to two Steve Bruce stoppage-time headers. Fun fact, this team also saw every single outfield player register a goal during the season. Gary Pallister’s free-kick on the last day of the season ensured this interesting tidbit.

9 Liverpool

2018/19

Liverpool’s tally of 97 points in 2018-19 is the most ever recorded by a club without winning the title. This is why they are Jurgen Klopp’s men are the only team to not win the league that has been included as part of this list.

Losing just once in the league that season – with the single defeat coming in that classic which ended up as a 2-1 defeat at Manchester City – the Reds won an astonishing 30 of their 38 games, conceding just 22 goals. In most seasons, they would be showered with trophies for their efforts. But we all know the one team who remained too strong for them…

8 Manchester City

2018/19

Of course, the team Liverpool lost to went on to win the title with 98 points in arguably the most gripping title race of all time.

A year after they achieved 100 points, Man City set off in the same manner by winning 13 of their opening 15 games. A run of four losses in nine games threatened to destabilise their trophy push – but the reigning champions bounced back.

Winning all but one of their games in the second half of the season, a final day 4-1 win over Brighton on the south coast brought the title back to the blue half of Manchester – much to Liverpool’s despair.

7 Liverpool

2019/20

Liverpool began their season in the best form anyone had possibly seen in any top-flight campaign ever, let alone the Premier League.

26 wins and one draw in 27 games would have seen them hit 80 points by February, though a shock 3-0 loss to Watford saw them lose their unbeaten status. Covid-19 soon hit, and whilst they had all but wrapped up the title, five wins in nine games saw them fall just short of the 100-point mark.

Had they smashed that target, they would’ve made the top of the list – but a slight collapse sees them in fourth place. It was without doubt the most scintillating start to a season of all time.

6 Manchester United

1998/99

United aren’t the best team on this list, but by winning a treble in the 1998-99 season, they became the first team to complete the feat in the Premier League era. They weren’t the last though…

The Red Devils only lost three games, though 13 draws gave Arsenal and Chelsea a chance to catch them. But an Andy Cole winner against Tottenham on the final day of the season gave them the chance to win the FA Cup and Champions League just over a week later.

They duly did to claim domestic dominance. A 2-0 win over Newcastle at Wembley and an infamous 2-1 win over Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp heralded them as the best at the time.

5 Manchester City

2022/23

The second team to achieve the treble should potentially finish behind the team who did it first. But that’s now how we’ve ranked them on our list.

Manchester City’s run to the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup titles in 2023 was an incredible showing of dominance. Whereas United in ’99 were run to the wire, once City assumed control of their destiny they never looked like letting it slip. The goals added by the unstoppable Erling Haaland made the city a force too dangerous to live with throughout most of the season. The silverware they ended up with backs that up.

4 Manchester United

2007/2008

The Red Devils have had some amazing teams over the years. The aforementioned 1999 treble winners. The Busby Babes. This crop of talent, though, takes the cake.

In this season, Sir Alex Ferguson was blessed to have the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney leading the line. Paul Scholes patrolling the midfield alongside Michael Carrick. A rock-solid defensive machine that included Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. On paper, there may not be an XI in Premier League history who could overcome this lot. What a team. What an era.

3 Arsenal

2003/04

Into the top three, and we have Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’. We will come to explain why in just a moment. No losses in a season has only happened twice in English top-flight history – the other being Preston North End in 1888-89.

Only two teams have come to that achievement with one loss – Liverpool being one of them in 2019-20. But going unbeaten against teams such as Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and more whilst failing to slip up in ‘easier’ games on paper is outstanding. Not only that, but the football Arsene Wenger’s men had on show was a joy to watch – it’s just a shame they couldn’t accrue more points. With 12 draws in the campaign, it felt as though at certain points the Gunners cared more about not losing to protect their streak than actually winning games. This is what has hampered them on this list.

2 Chelsea

2004/05

Often up for debate, this Chelsea season is criminally underrated by fans when talking about the greatest ever. They were the only other team to lose once throughout a league season when Nicolas Anelka’s penalty for Manchester City downed them early in the season.

The greatest statistic from their point of view is that they only conceded 15 league goals all season – less than one every two games. This included a run of 10 games without conceding a single goal, and given it was Jose Mourinho’s first season as boss, it began a new era which thereby ended the dominance of Sir Alex and Wenger.

At the time, they set records for the most away wins in a single season, the most clean sheets and the fewest away goals conceded.

1 Manchester City

2017/18

They are the greatest ever team to grace the Premier League. Pep Guardiola had only been at the club for one season, but in pre-season he got to work on his craft, creating an immovable object that remains the most incredible team ever to play in the top flight.

32 wins from a possible 38, 100 points, 106 goals scored, and just 14 points dropped marked City’s men as record holders. Even though it took a last-minute winner at Southampton on the final day of the season to secure the three-figure haul, their dominance was visible from the get-go. A campaign that included heavy wins galore – displaying a 7-2 victory, one 6-0, three 5-0 wins and two 4-0’s for good measure, saw City win the league by an incredible 19 points.